Mistaken Identity
by TheDreamyOne
Summary: Epilogue uploaded An identity crisis leads to torturous issues for both Nick and Frank. Presidio Med Crossover
1. Default Chapter

Title:                Mistaken Identity

Author:            TheDreamyOne sdjolly@bellsouth.net

Rating:            R (violence in a future chapter)

Summary:       An identity crisis leads to torturous issues for both Nick and Frank

Type:               UC:Undercover/Presidio Med crossover.  Suspense/drama

Disclaimer:    UC/PM or their characters do not belong to me.  NBC/CBS, Shane Salerno/John&Linda Wells have those privileges.  However, all original characters are mine.  Do not use without permission, please.  

A/N:                 This one became a bit darker than I had intended.  I do hope future chapters do not offend anyone. 

~~~~

Stepping off the crowded business flight from Chicago to San Francisco, Frank Donovan walked the short hallway into the terminal.  It was nearly midnight and he was a bit on the exhausted side.  He was thankful this trip would be short and sweet, just long enough to get the fingerprint evidence he needed, take it to the local FBI crime lab and then make the arrest he knew was inevitable.  His gut instinct told him the same criminal stalked the halls of "Presidio Med" as had at one of the Chicago hospitals; however, the culprit disappeared before police had put the pieces together.  

When the unexplained deaths began happening at the hospital in San Francisco, he had decided to keep his suspicions to himself.  No one on his team knew he had traveled to San Francisco, not even his wife.  He could not even explain why he did not tell her what he was up to.  If all went as he suspected, he would be back before he was missed and he saw no need to worry her unnecessarily.  His superiors believed he had taken a few days personal leave and his team was told he was going through re-certification in combat training.  The only other person who knew where he was headed was the one who brought the suspicious happenings at the Medical Center to his attention and he had made a promise to that person he would keep things hushed until proof was in hand.

"Frank!" he heard the shout from the far side of the waiting area of the terminal and spied his cousin leaning nonchalantly against the wall.  He smiled and lifted a hand in acknowledgment.  As he neared his identical cousin, a large group of rowdy teenagers descended upon the terminal, oblivious to those around them.  The group surrounded Frank and his cousin, jostling them and pushing them to and fro until they all managed to get by.  

Frank growled his irritation before clasping his cousin in a firm, friendly hug.  "Thanks for meeting me, Nick."

Dr. Nicholas Kokoris nodded, but could not manage to smile when he felt the butt of Frank's gun bite into his ribs.  It made the situation all too real.  "Can't say that this is a happy circumstance for me," he admitted, pulling away. "But I'll go along with it, if it means the unexplained deaths in ICU stop once and for all."  He held out his hospital ID to Frank, who stuck it in his shirt pocket.  "Keys to my car," he said, tossing the keys to Frank.  "I need to go pick up a rental.  I'll see you at the house later."

Frank nodded.  "This won't take long, Nick, and then you can have your life back."  He absently rubbed his jaw and felt the shadow of the beard he had grown in an effort to appear more like Nick.  Shay had given him hell for trimming his goatee and mustache to the stubble it now was.  He had one hell of a time _not_ explaining why he had done it.   

"Good.  Can you do this without the gun?  I'd rather you didn't take the chance of using it in the hospital."

Frank nodded hesitantly.  "I suppose I can, for the initial visit.  When we go in for the arrest; that's another matter."

"I understand...and thanks."  With a slap on Frank's shoulder, Nick left him to pick up his rental car.

--

"Your driver's license, sir?" The clerk asked at the rental counter.  

Nick nodded and reached into his pants pocket.  His eyes widened when he contacted nothing and began patting his other pockets looking for his wallet.  He knew it was there that morning!  He mentally went through his day up until the current time and nothing...those kids!  He'd been ripped off!  "Damn.  Look, my wallet's been stolen."

"I'm sorry, sir.  Without ID and a form of payment," the clerk trailed off and stepped to the back, effectively shunning Nick.

"Damn," he cursed again and went in search of the airport authorities.  

--

"That him?" Rusty asked, nudging his partner.

Jimmy looked toward the rental counter where Rusty pointed and then back at the snapshot he held.  "Dead ringer.  Boss will be crappin' happy that it was this easy.  C'mon...let's go get him."

--

Before sliding into the soft leather seat of Nick's Jaguar, Frank took a moment to shed his jacket to remove his shoulder holster.  "Doctors and cars," he commented with a grin, "they go hand-in-hand."  He carefully stashed his gun and holster under the driver's seat before donning his jacket and sliding in behind the wheel.  He gunned the engine smoothly and slowly pulled out of the parking area to the airport's exit lane.

"Hey...Benny...there he goes!" Jagger hollered and jumped behind the wheel of a beat up late model van.

"Yep, that's him..." Benny agreed, sliding into the passenger seat as Jagger began pulling away.  "Follow him...we'll take him out after he leaves the interstate.  Less traffic; less witnesses."

--

After making a report with the police stationed at the airport, Nick headed in the direction of the airport shuttle that had been arranged to take him anywhere he wanted to go.  His first stop would be to his apartment to get any form of identification to begin replacing what he had lost.  What a proverbial pain in the rump.

"Come on...now's our chance," Jimmy insisted, seeing their target waiting, seemingly impatient, in the deserted shuttle bay.

Approaching him from behind, Jimmy grabbed Nick forcefully by the upper arms while Rusty brought a closed fist down heavily on the back of his neck.  It all happened too quickly for Nick to react before what felt like a boulder slammed down on the back of his head.  He groaned painfully as he slumped into unconsciousness.  Jimmy kept him from hitting the ground with the grip he held on Nick's arms.  "Help me walk him to the car.  Hurry it up, Rusty."

"Okay, okay," he grumbled.  "Man, this guy weighs a ton."

"Stop complaining and move.  This guy is worth a hefty bonus to us if we deliver him alive," Jimmy explained as they made their way to the parking lot with Nick supported securely between the two, although his feet dragged the ground.

They dumped their prize into the back seat of the Lincoln that was used specifically for seedier purposes; it was complete with coal black window tint to prevent prying eyes from seeing anyone or anything inside.   Once their captive was secure, they left the airport and headed off to collect the bounty on the lump in the back of the car.

--

Two miles outside of the airport Frank hit a desolate stretch of highway; deep inclines that led into dense foliage lined either side road.  The only other vehicle for miles suddenly appeared behind him.  Glancing in the rearview mirror he noticed the vehicle was moving up on him quickly and steadily.  It would overtake him soon.  

He grew more annoyed the closer the vehicle got to him.  Larger in size, its headlights shone into the rearview and side mirrors in an offending fashion, effectively blinding him.  He slowed the Jaguar hoping to have the vehicle pass him and relieve the irritation.  

As if sensing he wanted them to pass, the vehicle's turn signal began to blink and Frank sighed in relief.  He just wanted to get to the hospital, get the evidence, and get back to his life in Chicago.  He knew he would be in the doghouse when he told Shay what he had been up to.  That he told her a fib to keep her in the dark once again, would decidedly piss off his hot-tempered wife.  But she would cool off soon enough when she realized he had not been up to anything dangerous.

Too late, Frank realized the vehicle was not going to pass him as it closed the distance between them and slammed into the Jaguar's rear bumper.  He lurched forward; cursing when the seatbelt grew taught and bit into his shoulder from the sudden jerking of the vehicle.  With a growl, he withdrew his cell phone from his jacket and began dialing the police.  He could tell that it was a van that was using the Jaguar for battering practice when it pulled up along side and veered into the rear passenger door.  The sudden impact caused him to lose his hold on the phone and it flew across to the passenger's side floorboard and disappeared into the darkness.  "Damn it!" he snarled as he clutched the steering wheel, bringing his vehicle back under control. 

The van slammed into the Jag just as it righted itself, but this time it did not veer away. It hugged the side of the smaller vehicle, forcing it off the road, past the shoulder and down the incline.  Frank tried to brake, but by this time the van was behind him again, pushing him into the dense foliage.  His car careened wildly through the taller foliage and was swallowed up by the thick underbrush.   The thought that the automobile would not easily be seen by passersby flashed through Frank's mind just moments before he crashed head on with a large Maple tree.    Frank's body slammed against the seatbelt and he was surprised that the airbag did not deploy.  With nothing but the seatbelt to stop his forward progress, his forehead smashed against the windshield and his ribcage crushed against the steering wheel before he was tossed back into his seat.  Although the impact was forceful, the brakes and the foliage slowed the vehicle enough to keep the crash from being disastrous.

He fought against the fog that threatened to overtake him while he struggled out of the confining seatbelt and opened the car door.  Sliding from the seat and onto the ground, he searched blindly for his gun and holster.  He might have smiled when his fingers closed around the familiar grip if he had not been in so much pain.  He unsnapped the catch from the holster and removed the gun quickly; turning to face whomever was after him.  That was what had him perplexed.  The suspect he was after would have no idea he was on his way to Presidio Med and it was highly unlikely that she would hire someone to take him out.  No, there was something deeper behind this. 

Stealthily he hid behind a tree a couple yards away and waited for the criminals to show themselves.  He blinked repeatedly against his increasingly blurred vision, noting the warm, slick feeling of the blood that flowed freely from his forehead, down the length of his nose and spilled over his eyebrows to drip onto his cheeks.  As quickly as he could manage, he readied himself when he heard the click of gun hammers cocked into place and the soft-spoken words of the strangers who approached.  They were sloppy and, if he were not about to pass out, he would handle this without hurting anyone, but when he saw the guns held by the strangers he knew it was them or him.  

He took aim as steadily as he was able and squeezed off two shots in rapid succession.  They never knew what hit them as they crumpled dead at the rear bumper of the Jaguar.   Frank slid to his knees when a round of dizziness overtook him.  The gun slipped from his hand and lay forgotten as he clutched his throbbing head.  Gripping the tree as firmly as possible, he pulled himself to his feet.  If he passed out in the dense foliage, it might be days before anyone stumbled onto the accident and he might be dead by then.  

Staggering from tree to tree, he made his way slowly to the edge of the wooded area and slumped to his knees to crawl through the path the Jaguar had cleared in the underbrush.  Once clear of the foliage, he spotted the van that was used to run him off the road partially concealed from the view of those who might happen by this late at night.  If he could make it to the van, would he be fit to drive?  He seriously did not think so.  His vision was double most of the time now, focus swimming in and out making him nauseous and light headed.  If he made it to the van, what then?  

He swiped at the blood that trickled into his eyes, burning them, and noticed something in the far-off distance.  Headlights.  If he was lucky, and tonight that seemed like a slim 'if', he could flag down the approaching vehicle and get help.  He did not feel as though he possessed enough strength to stand again, and he needed to get up the slight incline to the road above.  Although now, it seemed more like climbing Mt. Everest than the small slope that it was.  

Taking a deep breath he began the climb on hands and knees, stopping just long enough to ease a wave of nausea.  Time was short and he could not give in to the need to close his eyes and sleep.  Sleep was what he wanted but he knew it was the one thing that would kill him.  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he reached the gravel of the road's shoulder.  Now to flag down that oncoming vehicle.  He had no earthly idea how to do that in the dark of night other than stand in the middle of the road.  Stand.  Oh God, could he even do that?

The headlights were closing in and time was running out.  Struggling to his feet, he felt another wave of nausea hit and closed his eyes briefly as he stumbled forward a step or two.  The lights were closer now, maybe half a mile away.  One hand was pressed to his forehead in a pitiful attempt to hold back the pain and nausea, the other he waved tiredly, trying to capture the attention of the oncoming vehicle.  If he did not succeed, it was likely they would run him down.   That would surely get them to stop.  He would have laughed if he could; the thought was more than a bit ironic.

Were they slowing? He really could not tell; his vision was slipping away.  As he slumped unconscious to the ground the last thing he heard was the screeching of tires and the putrid smell of burnt rubber assaulting his nostrils.

***

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

***

Officer Donnehy sighed heavily and made his way to the elderly couple in the waiting area of the Medical Center.  They had nearly run over a man in the middle of the highway a half hour prior and brought the man here.  "Mr. and Mrs. Mullins, why did you bring the victim to this location?"

The frail looking gray-haired woman held out what looked like a credit card to the officer.  "He had this in his pocket.  It was the only thing he had on him."

He took the hospital ID and looked it over.  The man in the photo was definitely the man who had just been admitted to ICU under the name "John Doe".  "Doctor Nicholas Kokoris," he read.  

Michelle Chambers, head surgical nurse, rounded the corner at the time the officer spoke Nick's name.  She looked up from the chart she was assessing to address him.  "Excuse me?  You're looking for Dr. Kokoris?"

Donnehy turned in her direction.  "No, Ma'am.  I'm not looking for him.  Dr. Kokoris was in an automobile accident and was taken to ICU a short while ago."

Michelle stared at him for a moment while his words registered.  Nick.  Accident.  ICU.  "I..." she turned hastily, wanting to go to Nick right away.   She turned back to the officer just as quickly, needing to know what caused the accident.  "How did it happen?"

"Appears he was run off the road, Ma'am.  We're searching the area now."

"Thank you."  She headed to the elevator, stopping at the Nurses' Station only long enough to leave the chart she was carrying.

She paced the elevator during its slow ascent.  Her mind played through a hundred different scenarios, anticipating the extent of Nick's injuries.  She tapped her foot in annoyance, as if the effort would make the elevator move faster.  Her mind drifted back to that morning.  Nick had the day off, so he was in no hurry to move from the bed.  She, on the other hand, did not have that luxury.  As had become their custom, she was up and ready to head out the door without disturbing him.  He had surprised her, though, and 'tackled' her when she passed by the bed.  Suffice to say, she had to redress by the time they were through.  _What if he's...no, no, no...don't think it!_, she cried silently, burying her face in her hands.

"Finally," Michelle commented sarcastically, wiping away the tears that had surfaced.  She stepped from the elevator and made her way directly to the ICU Nurses' Station.  "Where is he?"

The petite brunette behind the counter didn't have to ask to whom Michelle referred, she had seen Dr. Kokoris taken to ICU.  She had even checked his vitals for the attending physician, Dr. Matt Slingerland.  "ICU-3" she replied, pointing. 

Michelle patted the counter.  "Thanks."  Even if she had not been familiar with the layout of ICU, it would not have been difficult to find the room Nick was in.  Several of the staff milled about the room, including Dr. Jackie Collette.  The perky, brunette plastic surgeon stood just inside the door, watching intently as Matt checked Nick's stats.  When she approached them, they moved aside for her.  Her eyes widened in horror seeing Nick hooked up to the various monitors.  Her eyes traveled the length of the IV tubes that protruded from his wrist and the oxygen tube fastened under his nose.  His head was bandaged, his face bruised, and his ribs were wrapped tightly.  

"He's resting, Michelle.  He's got one hard head," Matt commented with a chuckle.  "Although he lost some blood, it wasn't a dangerous amount.  His vitals are improving and should be able to move out of ICU soon, if they continue to do so."

Michelle nodded, listening intently.  She moved to Nick's side and took his hand gently into hers.  "Injuries?"

"Head trauma was the worst.  Looks like he smacked his head a good one.  Concussion.  We're monitoring him closely.  He also sustained a couple cracked ribs from the steering wheel, but nothing life threatening."  Matt patted Michelle's arm lightly.  "He's going to be fine, Shel."

Michelle nodded and offered him a halfhearted smile.   

"I'll be around if you need anything," Jackie offered genuinely from her vantage point in the doorway.   "In the meantime, I'll make sure you're taken off the duty roster."

"Thanks, Jackie."  There was no way she could go back to work and concentrate on the patients.  Her thoughts were only for Nick.  She was completely thrown by how frail he looked lying in the hospital bed.  "I couldn't leave him now, even if I wanted to."  

"Fine," Matt acknowledged.  "You take it easy, then.  You know as well as I do it may take awhile for him to wake up."

"I know, Matt.  I just need to sit here," she explained as she tenderly stroked the back of Nick's hand.  

***

_An annoying thing, being locked up in a disgustingly tiny six-by-six cell for the remainder of ones life,_ Aristos Patriaka thought while washing his face in the tiny sink.  He sighed heavily, noticing the toilet that was just inches from the sink.  He repeatedly felt degraded by using the facilities while the guards paced back and forth in front of his cell.  He snatched angrily at the towel that hung on a hook next to the mirror and swiped it over his face before scowling at the image in the mirror.  _He would pay!  That bastard would pay!_

"Let's go, Patriaka," a guard demanded, unlocking the cell door and waiting impatiently for the aging, bald, fat man to exit the small room.  "You have a visitor."

Patriaka snorted.  "Why else would I be seeing your lovely disposition before our noon meal?"

"Shut up and move," the guard barked, irritated.

Patriaka was led to the small visiting area.  "Number seven," the guard growled, indicating in which little cubby his visitor was waiting.  Patriaka sat in the undersized cubicle, snatched the receiver from its hook, and held it to his ear.  Finally making eye contact with the person who waited on the other side of the glass divider, he said quietly, "Always nice to see you, Rudolf." 

"And you, sir," Rudolf answered.  

Patriaka smiled.  Rudolf was not much to look at.  Tall and gangly, the man had no muscle to speak of, but his brain was the only muscle that ever mattered.  If someone was missing, or wanted to remain missing, Rudolf had a way of making him or her found.  Whether they wanted to be or not.  He never failed.  He had been the one to find Sonny and Carly.  Unfortunately, his head goon had killed the latter, bringing the wrath of Sonny Walker down upon the Patriaka Empire.  Now Patriaka was looking at a lifetime behind bars with no possible parole.  Sonny Walker was a free man, hidden by the Witness Protection Program of the FBI.  That would not deter Rudolf.  Sonny Walker would rise to the surface along with all the other scum in the pond.

"I received an interesting device today," Rudolf disclosed, his voice laced with satisfaction.  "If I use it wisely, I have no doubt I will be able to create you a unique gift."

"Rudolf!" Patriaka played the game.  "You are such a good friend."

"Until the end," Rudolf commented.  "I do hope you will enjoy your gift."

"I'm sure I shall," Patriaka smiled sardonically.  "I'm sure I shall." 

***

Activity nearby stirred Frank from his drug induced sleep and his eyes fluttered open slowly.  As his vision focused, he realized he did not recognize his surroundings or the people who milled around him.  Where was he?  A nurse hovered over him and he grasped that he was in a hospital.  The throbbing in his head became all too apparent and he groaned audibly, turning the attention of those in the room toward him when they noticed he was awake.  

He closed his eyes against the pain and felt a gentle squeeze as someone took his hand in theirs.  He opened his eyes and focused on the person at his side, holding his hand.  He gazed openly at the woman sitting beside him.  Something about the honey-blonde color of her hair and her caring violet eyes tickled at the back of his brain, telling him that he knew her, but in his mind he saw nothing but blankness.  Nothing.  Did he even know his own name?  He thought for a moment, trying to recall it, but the pain in his head protested the action vehemently.  No.  He did not even know his own name.  Who in the hell was he?  Who was she?

"Nick," Michelle whispered softly, bringing a tender hand to his cheek.  "How're you feeling, baby?  We've been so worried."

"Not me," Matt replied.  "You're the luckiest sonofabitch I've ever met in my life."

_Nick.  She called me Nick.  That does sound familiar.  _He looked up at the tall, dark haired doctor with the British accent.   "Am I?" he croaked tiredly.  "I don't feel so damned lucky."

"You are," Matt assured him.  "How're you feeling?"

"Not too great," he commented and gazed down at the woman's hand linked with his.  "Head hurts like hell and I think an elephant sat on my chest."  Something felt very off about the sight of their hands twined together.  He slowly pulled his away from hers and frowned.  "I...do I know you?"

"Nick, honey..."  She started to edge closer, but moved back when Matt drew closer to examine Nick's bandages.

"What's your name?" Matt asked softly.

"Nick...she called me Nick," he stated weakly.  "Can I get something for this damn headache?"

Matt nodded.  "You'll have something in a moment.  Yes, your name is Nick...but you didn't know that, did you?  Do you know my name?"

Frank shook his head and groaned.  "No.  No names, no faces, no fucking memories at all," he spat angrily.  He may not know his name or the people gawking at him, but he sure as hell knew he did not like being an invalid.

Michelle frowned concernedly, not only for his apparent memory loss, but also over his uncharacteristic temper.  She shrugged it off, chalking it up to the stress and trauma he had been through.

"Well, apparently you do remember how to curse," a female voice said from the doorway.  "Lost your mind, have you?"

Michelle's head shot quickly toward the doorway.  "Rae, really.  That's not even close to being funny."  She reached for Nick's hand, but he shifted suddenly, folding his arms over his chest.

Frank frowned.  Again, something tickled at his brain, but when he searched for it, it was gone.  "Who are you?"

"Dr. Brennan.  How's he doing?" she asked, looking at Matt.

"Physically, he's doing fine.  Looks like that whack to his head brought on a case of amnesia."

"He doesn't even remember you, Michelle?" Rae asked, intrigued.  

"Should I remember you?" he questioned, locking eyes with the pretty blonde.    

Michelle smiled softly and patted his arm.  "You will, just give it time."  She hoped she gave the appearance of strength and support, because inside she felt like she was falling apart.  Amnesia could last minutes, hours, days...forever.  The best she could do was to not panic and upset Nick more than he was.

"You might want to contact his family...seeing them might help bring his memory back," Rae suggested helpfully.  No matter their past, she felt honor bound to give Nick her support.

"I'll call his cousin," Michelle agreed, turning her attention back to Nick.  "Wouldn't it be nice to see him and his family again?"

Frank shrugged, but nodded anyway.  He had no idea who she was talking about, but he decided not to point that fact out.  Instead, he rested back into the pillow and closed his eyes.  Sleep.  Sleep would make it all go away--the pain and lack of memory.  Yes, sleep was the answer.

***

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

***

"Wake him up," Rudolf ordered, nodding toward the man tied spread-eagle on the small four-poster bed.  

Jimmy nodded and lifted the bucket of water from beside the bed and splashed the contents in the unconscious man's face.

Nick woke, startled and sputtering for air from the water that invaded his mouth and nostrils.  "What the hell?" he growled, trying to move, but found he was bound, wrists and feet, to the bed he was lying on.  "What's going on here?" he demanded of the two men standing near the bed.

"What's going on, is that you're going to sing for me, birdie.  And if I don't like the tune, you won't enjoy having your feathers plucked one by one," Rudolf answered with a cold, evil smile.

"I don't understand..." Nick groaned and tugged at the ropes to no avail.

"Tell me where you stashed Sonny, and maybe I'll let you live.  Or, at the very least...I'll let your family live."

Nick frowned as he continued to struggle.  "I don't know what the hell you're talking about.  Now, release me!" he demanded.

Rudolf shrugged easily.  "It's not like I expected that you would fold that readily.  You do have a reputation, you know.  I would have been disappointed if you had given in right away."

"Reputation?  What..." Nick trailed off when he noticed the needle and syringe the tall, thin man brought into view.  "What's in that?"

Again, Rudolf shrugged.  "It won't matter if you know, I suppose.  Amobarbital."

_Barbiturate._  "What the hell?"  Nick attempted to shy away from the needle the closer it got to his arm.  "I'm not..."

"Yes, you will talk.  Sooner or later you will.  Just for shits and giggles, we'll try it the easy way first."  Rudolf smiled easily.  "And if you manage to hold on to the information I need, then we'll do it the hard way."  His face darkened as he stared into the brown depths of his captive's eyes.  "You look a bit frightened.  Funny...for such a reputed hard-ass...you frighten easy enough.  Have you wet your drawers yet?"  

Nick blinked at the crude comment followed by the man's heartless laugh.   This stick of a man believed he was...Frank.    Nick flinched visibly when the needle penetrated his flesh.  _Jesus Christ...I'm going to die.  _

Rudolf waited patiently for the drug to take effect.  Any strong mind could evade answering truthfully to an interrogation under the effects of Amobarbital, or any truth serum for that matter.  Personally, he just wanted to see what this Fed was made of.

Nick groaned in his semi-conscious state.  His muscles ached from being confined in one position for hours on end.  His head ached from the conk he took at the airport.  And, damn it all, he needed to use the bathroom.  Through the haze of his muddled mind, he heard an insistent voice.

"Where is Sonny Walker?"

"Who...who is Sonny Walker?" Nick asked groggily, his eyes closed to mere slits.

"Sonny Walker.  What name does he use now?"

"Who is Sonny Walker?" Nick repeated, tiredly.

"Stop asking me that and tell me where he is!"

Nick raised his head slowly, painstakingly, and focused his eyes on his interrogator.  "IF I DAMNED WELL KNEW WHO HE WAS, I WOULD FUCKING TELL YOU," he growled as forcefully as he could manage.

Rudolf snorted and repeated his question until his throat grew dry from the effort.  His captive was extremely unwilling to co-operate and continued to insist he did not know who Sonny Walker was.  He was not surprised.  He would have been stunned if Agent Frank Donovan had given in to such an inquisition.  The man that lay before him was not going to be an easy egg to crack.  Mental and physical torture would be the way to go, and even then, Rudolf had his doubts the man would talk.  Time would tell just how strong Donovan was.

"What do you want to do with him now?" Jimmy asked, watching the captive's head slump back to the bed and his eyes close.  

Rudolf moved to the door with Jimmy close behind him.  He turned to face him.  "He doesn't eat.  He doesn't sleep.  He gets no water whatsoever.  Do you understand?"  When Jimmy nodded, he continued, "If he tries to sleep, you wake him...by any means necessary.  Take shifts with Rusty.  If he sleeps, I'll take it out on your hides," he assured before he left the room and closed the door behind him.

Jimmy turned back to the bed.  The man had drifted off to sleep.  "Here we go," he groaned as he headed to wake the doomed bastard.

***

Predatory eyes watched the halls of the medical center as she went about her daily activities.  More than once, her gaze fell to the ICU-3.  For two nights she waited for the opportunity to go to that pitiful soul and take care of his needs.  Unfortunately, he was never alone.

She smiled at Dr. Slingerland when he left the room and saw Nurse Chambers sitting at the patient's bedside.  The patient being one of the Center's doctors fascinated her.  She had taken care of many people, felt the thrill as their lives ebbed and flowed through her fingers, but to know the exhilaration of holding the life of a person whose stature rose to godlike in their profession excited her beyond anything she had felt before.

If she could get just one moment alone with him... 

***

"Shay...phone!" Cody yelled.

Thinking it might be Frank calling to check in, Shay hurried from the gym and picked up the closest extension.  "Donovan."

"Shay?  It's Michelle."

Michelle's voice held a note of sadness and Shay's smile faltered slightly.  "Hi, Shel.  How ya doin'?"  Since meeting Frank's cousin and his girlfriend when they had come to town for a medical conference, she had gotten to know them quite well.   

"I'm fine, Shay...but Nick's been injured in a car accident and has amnesia.  We're hoping family...things familiar will help jog his memory.   Can you and Frank fly out here right away?"

Shay nodded absently.  "Of course.  Frank's out of town, but I'll get hold of him and we'll be there ASAP.  I'll call you back with flight information."

"Thanks, Shay.  See you soon."

"Hang in there, Shel.  I'm sure everything will be fine."  After saying a saddened goodbye, Shay hung up the phone and turned to Cody.  "Please call Quantico and get Frank on the line, Code.  His cousin's been seriously injured and has lost his memory."

Cody nodded and began dialing.  After asking for Frank, he waited patiently for the operator to connect.  The answer he received was on the perplexing side. "Shay...Frank's not in Quantico."

"Yes, he is," she insisted.  "We were all here when he announced he was going for re-certification."

"I'm telling you, he's not there.  When I checked his status, DoJ shows him 'on leave'."  

Alex looked up from the file she was going through.  Frank was missing.  "Cody..." Alex began.

"Already on it," Cody answered while his fingers flew over his keyboard.  "Got it!" he yelled only moments later.  "Frank took a flight from Chicago to San Francisco yesterday."

Shay frowned and began pacing the room.  Frank was not answering his cell phone.  Why would he lie and why had he gone to San Francisco under false pretenses?  His cousin was there, but if he wanted to see his cousin, she would have been more than happy to go along with him to visit Nick.  "Get us on the next flight to San Francisco, Code," she said, coming to a stop in front of the techno-genius.  She glanced at Alex who nodded her agreement.  Jake was on vacation and the team was on standby until Frank returned from Quantico.  Since he was obviously not going to be returning from Quantico, they would go looking for him.  

After making the flight arrangements, Cody got on the phone to let Katie know what was going on.  Just as he expected, she wanted to join them, but he talked her out of it.  They had no idea what they were walking into and he was not about to put his wife into danger.

"I called Dad.  Of course, he's taking care of LJ, Ariel, and Zack anyway, so that's covered.  I'll keep him posted.  Sweet Jesus, guys...what the hell is going on?" Shay cried out, distressed.  

"Stay tough, Shay," Alex said as she draped an arm around Shay's shoulders.  "We'll find out what's going on, and as soon as we know he's okay...we'll take turns kicking his ass."

A tiny smile touched her lips.  "You bet, Alex.  Thanks."

"Anytime." 

***

During the flight, Shay, Alex, and Cody called every hotel and motel in San Francisco looking for Frank.  No one bothered to keep track of the times they called Frank's cell phone.  Cody kept a close eye on Shay the entire trip.  Although she was putting up a good front, it was not too difficult to see she was hurting.  Her husband was missing and she had no idea where to look for him. Cody hoped for all their sakes, some clue to Frank's disappearance would be uncovered.  That possibility also looked bleak.  Nick was their only lead at the moment, and if he did not regain his memory, Cody was not sure what they would do.

Alex and Cody trailed behind Shay as she entered the hospital and asked the receptionist what room Nick was in.  She was informed that earlier that morning he had been moved from ICU to a private room.  After receiving directions, the trio made their way to the appropriate floor and found Nick's room easily.  

Shay entered the room first, almost in slow motion.  She had to do a double take and force herself to remember that, although the man lying battered and bruised in the hospital bed was identical to her husband, it was _not_ her husband.  She smiled wearily at Michelle when she rose from the bedside chair and caught her up in a mutually comforting hug.  Pulling away from Michelle, she focused on Nick.  "How're you feeling, Nick?"

Frank shrugged.   _More strangers_, he thought as the newcomers filed into the room.  Strangers he was supposed to know.  He felt that familiar tickle at the back of his brain again.  Still, he could do nothing more than chase the elusive fragments until they disappeared.  He sighed heavily as his gaze fell upon the woman who was speaking to him.  Her sky blue eyes had a haunted quality, as if she was in pain of some kind, and he felt the overwhelming urge to hold and comfort her.  He tore his gaze from her for a moment to take in the others, but found himself studying her again within moments.  He was drawn to her, the color of her honey-blonde hair, the shape of her lips, the need to be near her.  Although he felt a twinge of something for every person in the room, this woman affected him differently.  He felt he knew her, like she was of grave importance to him.  Looking into her eyes, he felt he was looking into his own soul.   He shook himself mentally.  Matt had told him earlier that he and Michelle were involved.  Should he not be feeling these things for her?  

Shay returned Nick's intense stare as he studied her.  They had spent such a short time together while he attended a medical conference in Chicago, but their friendship had grown through phone conversations and a multitude of email correspondence.  She broke from the group and sat on the edge of his bed.  Besides his being a little pale, she could see a dark bruise under the bandage on his forehead and his dark eyes seemed clouded in confusion.  For some unexplainable reason, she ached to take him into her arms and hold him.  Instead, she touched a gentle hand to his cheek and was thrown by his reaction when he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.  A reaction she had seen from Frank so many, many times.  She blinked back the tears that threatened and smiled softly at Nick.  "Have you recovered any memories, Cousin Nick?" 

_Cousin Nick_.  Why did that sound so foreign coming from her beautiful mouth?  Why did he have such a strong urge to kiss his cousin's wife?  And he was not thinking about an innocent peck on the cheek.  He wanted to cover her mouth with his and attempt to lick the back of her throat.  He wanted nothing more than to possess every inch of this woman.  How unnatural was it to feel this way for his cousin's wife?  And yet, it felt very natural.  "No.  No memories," he finally answered.

Shay lightly touched the bandage that covered his forehead and sighed.  What information was locked inside his mind?  Could it lead them to Frank?  He was close; she could feel it.  "It's okay...you'll get it all back."

Michelle watched Nick and Shay speak quietly while she briefed the others on his condition.  The odd twinge hit her again that something was just not right.  As the minutes ticked by, and the silent body language between Shay and Nick persisted, she began to suspect that Frank Donovan was the man lying in that bed.

"So, I think we'll head over to the local FBI offices and see what we can dig up.  Shay?" 

"Go without me, Cody.  I'd feel better if I stayed with Nick," she insisted.  "Keep me posted?"

"Of course we will," Alex answered and laid a hand on Shay's shoulder.  "And, Shay...try not to worry too much, we'll find him."

Shay nodded and gave Alex's hand a squeeze.  "Thanks.  Make sure Cody checks into this accident.  Odd thing that Nick is hurt and Frank disappears at the same time."

"Not to worry, Shay, " Cody acknowledged.

Shay nodded and watched the group leave.  She looked down when she felt fingers entwining with hers and glanced up at Nick.  _He looks and feels so much like Frank, it's just not right!_ her mind cried out.  Yet, she could not stop herself from leaning in and placing a feather light kiss to his lips.  "Everything will be fine, Nick," Shay whispered before moving away from him to sit in a nearby chair.  

Michelle sat in the chair next to Shay.  'Nick' was drifting off to sleep.  Although his vitals were improving steadily, he was still on some potent painkillers and they were taking their toll.  She realized the odd feeling was chasing her when she felt absolutely no jealousy toward the exchange between 'Nick' and Shay.  He had shown more emotion in the few minutes he had spent talking to her than in all the time since he had awakened from his trauma.

--

"Excuse me."

Alex and Cody paused just outside Nick's hospital room.  "Yes?"

"Are you Nick's family?"

Cody half smiled and shook his head.  "No.  We're friends and co-workers of his cousin," he explained.

"Ah.  I'm Dr. Slingerland and I've been handling Nick's case.  Might I have a moment of your time in private, please?"  He indicated for them to follow as he led them to an exam room and closed the door.

"What can we do for you, Doctor?" Alex asked patiently.

"I've been keeping the police from questioning Nick.  I don't think he's ready to answer any questions, and he most certainly doesn't appear to have any answers," Matt began.

"What exactly do the police want?"

"Apparently they found two men shot to death near Nick's vehicle.  Personally, I can't see Nick owning a gun, let alone murdering anyone.  This is the detective's business card, if you could check things out?  Michelle said Nick's cousin was with the FBI, so I am assuming that if you are co-workers..."

Alex nodded and pocketed the business card.  "Justice Department, actually.  We'll check this out and find out what's going on."

"Thank you," Matt said gratefully.  "Michelle's been at his side practically every moment he's been here.  I've kept the police away more for her sake than anything.  She doesn't need the added stress."

***

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

***

Frank lay quietly, watching Shay stare out the hospital window to the park below.  "Tell me about Frank," he said quietly, startling both Shay and Michelle, who sat at his bedside.

Shay shrugged but did not look in his direction.  It was too difficult to look at him while she missed her Tiger so.  Nick was his mirror image and it pained her to look at him.  Was Frank hurt, in danger?  These were questions she had no answers to and it tore her to shreds.  "I wish I could.  We have no idea why he came to San Francisco."

He shook his head and cast a glance in Michelle's direction when he saw her shift restlessly in her chair.  Why was he so fixated on his cousin's wife when he had been told that he and Michelle were together?  It made no sense.  His headache had returned full-blown and was throbbing incessantly.  He rubbed his temples tiredly.  "No idea.  Odd.  Michelle...can you get me something...head's aching again."

"Sure," she agreed and left the room quickly.

"How long have you and Frank been together?"

"Four years," she answered softly as she lifted a hand to rub her aching neck.  "We have three beautiful children.  He's my life."

"I'm sure he is," he commented dryly.  Why did her talk of another man bother him so much?  Damn, he wished he would get his memory and his life back.  Get away from this sinking feeling of nothingness.

Michelle came back in with a sedative and handed the pills to Nick along with a cup of water.  "Take these...rest.  You'll feel much better after you get some sleep."  She frowned slightly, thinking that he looked tense and a bit upset over something.  

Frank shrugged and tossed the pills into his mouth.  After taking a sip of water, he set the cup on the nightstand.  "I'll feel better when I get my life back," he commented, irritated.  He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.  He welcomed sleep and a chance to stop thinking about the blonde staring out the window.

***

Groaning softly, Nick ran his tongue over his dry lips.  Thirsty, he was so thirsty.  If he dared ask for a drink, water was thrown in his face, wetting the now soggy bedding further.  He absently wondered how long he had been lying tied to the wretched thing.  His mind was foggy.  Was it two, three...no, four days?  He was not sure.  

He was sure that he was going to go insane before this was over.  He also had very little doubt it would matter if he retained his sanity.   Sanity does not make a bit of difference if you die, and he was sure he was headed in that direction.  

He shivered against the dampness of the bedding.  Most of his clothing had been ripped from his body, with the exception of his briefs.   And the smell.  He had no other choice than to relieve himself where he laid.  The humiliation was endless as he was forced to lie in his own urine.  _What in the hell did I do to deserve this?  Was this some kind of twisted cosmic justice for my past misdeeds?_  

He wanted to close his eyes and disappear into unconsciousness, but his captors made that impossible.  Each time he drifted to sleep, he was slapped, shaken, had water tossed in his face, and had even been burned with cigarettes.  He could only lie there, praying that somehow someone would come to his rescue.

He moaned inwardly and tried to focus his tired eyes on the ceiling.  He felt himself slipping away, as if they were robbing him of his own essence.  He wanted to scream in frustration and beg to be released so that he could return to his life.  And Michelle.  What of Michelle?  Was she worried about him? Did she even know he was missing?  Surely, by now, Frank had handled the situation at the hospital.  What if he hadn't?  What if everyone thought Frank was him?  _Not Michelle...she'd know right away it wasn't me._  He tried to turn, roll onto his side to relieve the ache in his back, but the restraints made that impossible.  _Michelle, oh Shelley...I need you.  _

***

Shay watched solemnly while Michelle tended to Nick's needs, attempting to make him more comfortable.  Michelle turned toward her suddenly and said she was going to grab a shower in the Nurses' locker room since Nick was sleeping and would be back in a few minutes.  The sedative he had taken earlier had finally worked its magic, allowing him to rest comfortably.  Shay's eyes followed Michelle from the room and wondered how she was keeping it together.  Michelle had barely left Nick's side since he was brought into the hospital, only taking short breaks to eat or shower and change clothing.  Sighing heavily, she turned her attention back to Nick.  Nick moaned in his sleep and her eyes flew to his face.  _Why does he have to look so much like Frank?!  _Neurologists said he was out of the woods in regards to his head injury and he was regaining strength quickly.  He was a fighter and for that Shay was thankful.  If he could only get back his memory and shed some light as to why Frank had come to San Francisco in the first place.  She feared the worst for her husband, how could she not?

"Please," she whispered.  "Please tell me where Frank is."  

--

"Michelle...how can you know that?" Matt asked, incredulously.  She had just shared a bizarre revelation with him.

"I have no proof, Matt.  I just know," she assured him.  "The man in that room is not Nicholas Kokoris."

Matt frowned.  "He sure as hell looks like Nick.  He had his hospital ID on him when he was found."

Michelle shrugged and glanced across the hall into Nick's room.  "Nick has an identical cousin, Matt.  That cousin is missing after traveling to San Fran."  She nodded toward the room.  "That's his wife, Shay.  I can feel their connection.  That man is Frank Donovan."

Shaking his head, Matt said, "It's preposterous, Shel.  That man has Nick's blood type.  Sounds exactly like him, too.  You're reaching."

"Reaching for what?  For the realization that if Frank is lying in that bed...then Nick is missing?  Right, Matt.  I so want to reach for that."  Her shoulders slumped a bit as she headed back toward the room.  She paused in the doorway when the sound of Shay's soft sobs reached her.  She was beginning to understand the feeling of helplessness that Shay now felt.  Nick was the one missing.  Shay may not be fully aware that her husband was in that bed, but on a subconscious level she was.  Her body language told that story.  

"_Où sont vous, Frank? Revenez-moi s'il vous plaît, mon Tigre_," Shay begged softly through her sobs as she rested her head on the edge of the bed.

Michelle's eyes widened as she watched the scene unfold.  Still asleep, 'Nick' placed a tender hand on Shay's head and stroked her hair softly.  Michelle's eyes filled with tears when she heard him whisper, "_Je suis juste ici. Ne pleurez pas s'il vous plaît, mon cadeau._"

Shay lifted her head swiftly to see his face.  "Frank?!"  But there was no response; he was still sleeping deeply.  If it was Frank, his response had been reflexive to his wife's needs.  And Shay was, without a doubt, sure that it was him.

Shay touched a gentle hand to his cheek.  "I should have known...oh, Frank...please forgive me for not knowing."

"It is Frank, isn't it?" Michelle asked as she approached the bed.

To Shay's ears, Michelle's question sounded more like a statement.  As if she already knew.  "No one has ever called me "mon cadeau" but Frank...from almost the beginning, after we were reunited," Shay explained without taking her eyes from his sleeping face.  "Nick never heard Frank's pet name for me...he could not possibly know."  She watched the anguish appear on Michelle's beautiful face and understood all too well what she was going through.  Nick was now the one missing.    

"I think you're both reading far too much into a few coincidences," Matt insisted, walking into the room.

Shay thought for a moment.  "Michelle?  Does Nick have a birthmark...um...er..."  Her eyes indicated its location.

Michelle shook her head.

"That will be the proof then," Shay said, reaching for the sheet. 

"Perhaps I should do that," Matt suggested.  "After all, if it is Nick..."

"I see your point," Shay agreed.   "Trust me, he won't mind."  She did not wait for or need permission to look at her husband's body and ignored Matt's protest, reaching for the sheet.  She lifted it and ducked underneath.  She knew both Michelle and Matt were medical professionals and had probably seen many a man's wares, but that did not mean Shay would willingly display her husband's goods to them.  And no matter how much Matt might protest, Shay had no doubt this was her husband.  Pulling up the hem of the thin hospital gown, she exposed him to her view.  Sure enough, the tiny, egg-shaped birthmark was there beneath his wiry curls.   

"Lose something?" a deep masculine voice asked of the person examining his privates underneath the hospital sheets. 

Shay croaked and heard both Michelle and Matt gasp loudly.  Sheepishly, she moved out from under the sheet to see a pair of chocolate brown eyes fixed steadily on her.   When she saw the lopsided grin form on his lips, she knew her husband was back.  "Hi, Tiger.  Just inspecting my property." 

"I hope everything meets your satisfaction," Frank commented.  He chuckled and cupped her chin possessively, his thumb grazing her lips tenderly.  "Quite a scare to wake up and not know who the hell I was.  It just took a good dose of you, _mon cadeau_, to bring me back."

Shay nodded solemnly and touched a hand to his cheek.  "Up until a few moments ago, when you spoke French to me in your sleep...we all believed you were Nick."

  
"Nick?!" he asked incredulously and then remembered from the time he had awakened everyone believed he was his cousin.  "So, you were checking for my birthmark?"

Shay nodded.  "Baby...when you were found, you had nothing on you but Nick's hospital ID.  What's going on?"

"Yes, Frank," Michelle interrupted the touching reunion.  Her only thoughts were of finding Nick.  "Do you know what has happened to Nick?"

Frank frowned and looked from his wife to Michelle and back to his wife.  "I would tell you if I could remember.  Some things are still foggy and out of reach.  I don't know what I'm doing here," he admitted.

"It will come back to you, Tiger."  Shay braced one hand on the bed and leaned down to kiss him gently.  "Welcome back, my love."  She felt Frank's arms circle around and pull her closer, mindful of his ribs.   She buried her face into his neck and felt him stroking her hair softly as she sobbed quietly against him.  When her tears subsided she whispered, "I love you."

Michelle felt Matt's arm slide around her shoulders and pull her into a comforting embrace.  She leaned into it thankfully.  She could only remember one other time that she felt so completely lost and alone.  That was when her twin sister died suddenly while giving birth to her only child.  She nodded against Matt's shoulder as he quietly assured her that Nick was fine and would turn up soon.  It was a lie.  She knew it, and yet, she clung to it like a life preserver. 

"I love you, too, Ashling," Frank stated.  "Forgive me?"

"For what?" she asked, pulling away enough to see his face clearly.

"I have the oddest feeling I need your forgiveness for something," he said with a smile.  "If I ask now, while I'm hospitalized and in such a pitiful state, you can't hold whatever it is against me later."

Shay shook her head and laughed.  "Gotta love how your mind works, Donovan."  She kissed the tip of his nose.  "You get rid of this..." she touched the shadow of the full beard on his face, "and bring back that goatee and mustache I adore, and I'll forgive you anything."

He reached up and ran a hand over his jaw.  "Consider it done, Donovan."

--

Où sont vous, Frank? Revenez-moi s'il vous plaît, mon Tigre. = Where are you, Frank?  Please come back to me, my Tiger.

Je suis juste ici. Ne pleurez pas s'il vous plaît, mon cadeau. = I'm right here.  Please don't cry, my gift.

***

to be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Patriaka lay on his uncomfortable cot, staring at the ceiling.  He had just received a phone call from Rudolf.  Reading between the lines, so to speak, Rudolf had told him that Donovan had not cooperated during the first interrogation.   Still, Rudolf was confident the next session would be too difficult for the agent to withhold any information from him.  

With a heavy sigh, Patriaka rolled onto his side.  He felt the slightest twinge of pity for Frank Donovan.  Rudolf loved his work; Patriaka had a strong sense that the skeletal man actually got off on it.  It was a sickening thought, but Rudolf was the best.  Whatever Donovan knew, Patriaka would soon possess through whatever means Rudolf felt necessary.

He closed his eyes and a sardonic smile crept onto his lips.  Soon he would have Sonny Walker.  If Patriaka had to spend the remainder of his life behind bars, Sonny Walker would spend the rest of eternity smoldering in hell.  

***

After meeting with the detectives handling the homicide case, a few clues came to light.  Frank's cell phone was found on the floorboard of Nick's Jaguar, his gun was found a few feet from the vehicle, and the two dead men were linked with a crime syndicate.  Alex and Cody returned to the hospital with a strong belief that the person lying in that bed was, indeed, Frank Donovan.  

They entered the hospital room fully prepared to break the good news to Shay and the bad news to Michelle.  When they walked inside, they found Shay in Frank's arms, the two of them indulging in a deep, torrid kiss.  "Guess she knows," Cody quipped.  He and Alex smiled at each other.  All was right in their world.  Now to find out how all this had happened and how Frank had wound up mistaken for his cousin.

Shay broke the kiss reluctantly and turned toward Cody and Alex.  "Frank has his memory back.  Well, most of it, anyway," she informed them thankfully.

"And here we were, on our way back to give you the news," Alex said, laughing.  "Nice to see you again, Boss.  By the way, we owe you an ass kicking."  

"Too late.  Shay forgave me already," he answered smugly.  

"Shay!"

"Sorry, Alex.  He caught me while my emotions were in a turmoil," Shay admitted, smiling.  

"Right.  Like Frank has to do much to work his magic on you," Alex joked and plopped down into the nearby chair.

Shay shrugged.  "Well, he was rather pitiful...and I'd forgive him anything right now.  I'm just so glad to have him back."  She placed a tender hand to Frank's cheek and gazed intently into his eyes.  "I do hope you know, if you ever pull another stunt like this...I'll personally see to that ass kicking."

"Somehow, I believe you," he answered.  A crooked smile played on his lips before he turned serious.  "If I ever remember why I did it, I'll try to explain it to you."  He was more than a bit unnerved.  He still had a huge chunk of memory missing and he did not like that feeling one bit.  

"Does Michelle know?" Alex asked concernedly.

"Yes.  She was here when Frank awoke.  Actually, she knew before he that...she knew before anyone did."  Shay turned slightly on the bed and smiled softly at Frank when he began massaging her lower back tenderly.  "But the bigger picture is...where is Nick?"

"That's a good question," Michelle stated as she entered the room.  Everyone looked in her direction.  She knew she must look a fright.  Her eyes were swollen and red from crying.  She was trying to be strong in front of the others, but when she was alone with her thoughts, reality crashed in.  She could not handle the thought of losing Nick.  He was missing, without a trace or sign as to what happened to him, and her imagination ran through the worst of scenarios.  

Cody moved forward and placed his laptop on the bed table and turned it to face Frank.  "Recognize these men?"  On the screen were photos of the two men found at the scene of Frank's car accident.

Frank nodded.  "The men who came after me.  Who are they?"

"Believe it or not," Alex said, leaning up against the windowsill, "they have ties to none other than Aristos Patriaka."

Donovan lifted a brow.  Patriaka.  "Jesus.  So...Nick's missing...men were sent after me...they could have just shot me, but instead, ran me off the road..."

"That pretty much sums it up," Cody agreed.  "Patriaka."

"Wanted you alive," Alex inserted.  "So...his people have Nick.  What do they want?"

"Not ransom," Shay answered.  "They think they have Frank.  The head of the group who protected..."

"Sonny.  He wants Sonny," Frank stated, matter-of-factly.

"Well, whoever this Sonny is...give him over to save Nick," Michelle demanded.

"It's not that simple," Frank answered sympathetically.  "Not that simple at all."

Shay sighed and nodded.  She squeezed his hand softly in support.  Everyone in the room, with the exception of Michelle, knew what he was thinking.  If Patriaka's people wanted Sonny, they would assume Frank (Nick) would have the information as to his new identity and whereabouts.  They would get that information by any means.  

"Why isn't it that simple?" Michelle asked, attempting to understand the situation.   

"First, I don't know Sonny's new identity or location," Frank answered.

"Second?"

Frank clung to Shay's hand.  Michelle would not like this answer.  "Nick may already be dead."  

Matt chose that moment to enter the room and Michelle buried her face into his chest when he embraced her in a supportive hug.  "I won't accept that," she murmured resentfully.

"I didn't say we were accepting it, Michelle.  But you must realize the people we're dealing with," Frank insisted patiently.  "Patriaka was the head of the largest syndicate in the United States...possibly the world.  Trust me when I say they will use any means necessary to obtain the information they think he has."

She nodded and pulled away from Matt.  Feeling sorry for herself would not change a thing.  "What can you do?" she asked, turning to face Frank.

"Get the hell out of this bed, for starters."  He searched the room, looking for his clothing.  He was more than ready to leave the hospital, no matter what anyone else thought.  "Anyone think to bring me some clothes?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other and then shook their heads no.  

Michelle sighed softly and headed for the door.  "Well, the clothes you had couldn't be saved, but Nick has clothes in his hospital locker and you're the same size, more or less.  I'll get them."  

"Where do you think you're going to go?" Alex asked, giving Frank a 'you've got to be kidding' look.  

Frank groaned irritably.  "I'm not an invalid and I'm no longer hooked up to anything," he informed them, holding up his arms to indicate all the tubes and leads had been removed.  "My head's fine, my memory is back and my ribs are healing.  There's no reason for me to stay in this hospital bed,' he insisted forcefully.

"Don't overdo it, Frank," Shay whispered.

"This coming from a woman who once checked herself out of the hospital after a serious car wreck?  This head wound is a love tap compared to what you suffered."  **

"So, are you trying to convince us, or yourself?" Cody joked.  

Frank lifted his brow in irritation.  "I'm fine," he growled.

"Not arguin' that point, Big Guy," Shay replied; winked and patted his knee.  "You just lean on Cody if you get tired."

"Hey!" Both Cody and Frank protested in unison.

"Just kidding.  You can lean on your strong and capable wife, who caves to your every want and need," Shay wisecracked.

"Yeah, right.  That'll be the day," he replied.  

Michelle returned with Nick's clothing.  "These should fit."

Frank took the bundle from her.  He held the button down shirt at arms length.  "Purple?" he asked incredulously.  Purple was not really Frank's color.  "Alright... enough with the staring.  Out, so I can dress," Frank ordered.  "You stay, Blondie."

Shay cringed.  "Ugh...you know I hate when people call me 'Blondie'."

"Hmmm...really?  Must have slipped my mind," he commented offhandedly after she closed the door.  

"Frank Donovan..." She snatched the shirt from his hand and tossed it over a chair.  "That was just pitiful."  

Helping him to a sitting position, she checked the bundle of clothes.  "Hmm...hope these jeans don't chafe.  No undies."  

Frank chuckled when she grinned and wiggled her brow.  "Ah well...such is my luck.  

"Maybe you really should stay in bed.  On a good day, you don't smart off this much.  They did check for brain damage, didn't they?" She winked and helped him into the jeans.  

"Funny," he responded, rolling his eyes at her in exasperation.  Just as quickly, his slight annoyance turned into an intense feeling of love and need.   "The weirdest thing, Ash....while I was without my memory, the thing that struck me most was my desire for you.  Not just physical need, but to protect and comfort you.  It was..."

"Uncanny," she said, finishing his thought.  She helped him stand, supporting him fully when he wobbled a bit, pulled the jeans up over his hips, and then helped him into the shirt.   She kissed his lips softly as she worked on the buttons.  "I know, darling.  Somehow, subconsciously...I knew it was you here with me all along.  The conscious part that believed you were Nick was _very_ confused."

"I'll bet," he said, wrapping his arms around her.  

"Hey, kinda hard to tuck in this shirt while you have me trapped in your arms." 

"You belong in my arms," he replied softly before letting her go.  

"Nowhere else I'd rather be, either," she acknowledged and tucked his shirt inside the jeans.  After buttoning them, she pulled the zipper up slowly, careful not to pinch him.  "Sit," she ordered and helped him down to the bed to help him into his socks and shoes.  "Okay.  Baby's all dressed."

"Give me a break," he groaned.

"You're getting one.  If I were in my right mind, you wouldn't be moving from that bed."

He released an aggravated sigh.  He knew she understood that he felt responsible for Nick's situation.  He also knew he had no control over the fact that it happened.  Knowing the situation was not of his doing did not make the guilt easier to handle.  "I'm bullheaded.  We both are.  But Nick is the priority now.  Not me."

"Understood, Agent Donovan," she replied softly and helped him stand.  He leaned on her a bit while they headed toward the door.  "And we'll do what we can."

He stopped when they reached the door.  "One more thing before we join the others."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Shay hugged him softly.  "Anytime, Tiger.  Anytime."

"I want to go with you," Michelle insisted as she approached the Donovans when they exited the hospital room.  

Frank shook his head.  "No, Michelle.  There's no telling the danger we'll be facing.  Nick would never forgive me if I put you in danger as well."

Michelle frowned.  As well?  Did he believe this was his fault?  She had no idea what was behind this whole situation, but if he blamed himself for the fact that he and Nick were identical, he might as well blame himself for the weather each day that he rose.  "Whatever happens, Frank...please don't blame yourself."  

He responded with a slight nod.  Shay felt his grip on her waist tighten.  No matter what Michelle or anyone might say to Frank, he _would_ hold himself responsible.  

"My fault or not, you are not coming with us."  When he saw the tears forming in Michelle's violet eyes, he felt like a heel.  "We'll keep you posted, I promise.  When we find him, you'll be the first to know."

Michelle nodded her acceptance.  "I guess I'll have to settle for that, thank you."  She stood back and watched as the small group filed out of the hospital.  

"What the hell?" Matt questioned.  "He checked himself out?"

"Not exactly," Michelle answered, heading toward the elevator.  She suddenly felt the need to go home.  Nick's presence permeated every inch of space in their home and she needed to feel him, even in that small way.  

--

** Read Quito's Gamble 

***

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning** – Violent Content

***

Rudolf entered the room quite sure his prisoner was ready for his session.  After four days of deprival, Frank Donovan would be beyond exhausted, hungry, and thirsting, as he had never thirsted.  By the time Rudolf was through with him, he would be as weak as a baby.  "Get him off the bed and into that chair.  Tie his hands behind the chair back and his ankles to its legs."

Nick stared blankly as the two helper goons untied him from the bed and then dragged his filthy carcass over to a chair and bound him as instructed.  In his mind he had spent many an hour going through things in his life.  He clung desperately to the thin hope that he would make it out of this mess alive and with his mind still intact.  He closed his eyes and saw Michelle's face.  _Stay with me, baby_, he begged silently.

Rudolf noted the empty expression Donovan wore.  "You stink like the filthy animal you are," he commented, disgusted.  He noted Donovan made no indication he heard.  "This can end, if you answer my question."

Silence.

"Your silence only forces me to punish you.  Is that what you want?"  When he received no answer, he nodded to Rusty who landed blow after blow to Nick's jaw and face.

Nick grunted with each blow that landed and rocked his head from side to side.  He had been in plenty of fights growing up, as most boys have, but had never taken a beating.  He grew dizzy with each punch and the pain increased as cuts opened on his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose.  He closed his eyes again, envisioning Michelle holding her arms outstretched.  She enveloped him in her loving and comforting embrace.  "Hold on, Nicky...hold on," she whispered to him.

Rudolph held up a hand, stopping the beating.  "Would you care to talk to me now?  Is there a name rolling around in that tired little brain of yours that you'd like to share?"  He sighed when he received no response.  "Very well, my friend.  You leave me no choice."

Reaching behind him, he lifted a stun gun from the table and tossed it to Jimmy.  Jimmy flipped the unit on, set it to a lower level stun, and waved it before Nick's face.  

Nick followed it with his eyes, but made no sound.  What could he tell them?  He had absolutely no knowledge of his cousin's activities, nor did he have any idea who this Sonny Walker was.  Jimmy jabbed the gun into his shoulder and zapped the charge.  Nick jumped and shook in the chair, his teeth rattled slightly, but made no attempt to speak.  In his mind, he sank further into his vision.  He felt Michelle's embrace tighten, as if holding him together.

Rudolf grew impatient.  "Use it right, you moron!"  He wrenched the stunner from Jimmy's hand and placed it to Donovan's chest and raised the setting a notch.  "Does your wife play with your nipples, Agent Man?  Do you like the feel of her wet tongue circling them?  Nipping them with her teeth?"  He slid the gun over Donovan's muscles and settled over the left nipple.  "Do you cry out for her?" he asked through clenched teeth and triggered the mechanism.

Nick convulsed as the current tore through the sensitive nerve endings and rippled through his chest and arms.  He groaned painfully and bit his tongue violently with the effort of maintaining control.   

Rudolf noted the trickle of blood that flowed from the corner of the Fed's mouth.  "Have any Sonny news for me yet?"  

Nick groaned agonizingly and tossed his head from side to side.  Absently he noted the horrid stick man set the stun gun back on the table before moving behind his chair.  _Thank God_, he thought briefly before realizing the man would only move on to his next torture device.

Reaching into his back pocket, Rudolf removed his favorite item.  A simple little plastic bag; so simple, and yet it could destroy life in such a short amount of time.  Without warning, Rudolf opened the bag and slid it quickly over Donovan's head, pulling it tightly closed around his throat.

Nick gasped and his eyes bulged as he struggled uselessly against his bonds.  He strained for every ounce of oxygen the bag contained, but knew his time was short.  As he gasped for the last and felt consciousness slip away, the bag was suddenly removed.

Rudolf waited until he heard Donovan gasp in fresh oxygen.  He once again picked up the stun gun and held it loosely in his hand.  In his other hand he gripped a portrait sized photograph.  Circling around to face his captive, he smiled sickly.  "Such a beautiful family you have," Rudolf commented and shoved the photo toward the Fed.  

"I...I..." Nick panted as he looked upon the photograph.  Frank, Shay, and their three children.  How could he make this man understand he knew nothing?  

"What?  You what?  Want to tell me everything before I destroy your family along with you?  That would be most wise," Rudolf insisted.

"I'm ...I'm telling you...the truth.  I'm not who...who you think...I am.  My name is..."

"Frank Donovan of the Justice Department.  Yes, I know!"

"Nicholas Kokoris....not...not...Frank!" he spat tiredly.  "Please..."

"Please?  Please....you sniveling pile of shit!  Can't you do better than _please!?_"  Rudolf tossed the photograph and grabbed the plastic bag.  He snapped it open with a flick of his wrist and slid it back over the agent's head, leaving the opening loose for him to breath.  For now.  "Tell me what I want to know, you festering slime hole!"  

"I...ta-told you...I am not who you tha-think," he stammered despairingly.  

Rudolf growled and clenched his fist just under the agent's chin, effectively closing the bag and cutting off his supply of oxygen.  At the same time he shoved the stun gun between the man's legs.  "That was the wrong answer," he stated coolly and triggered the unit.

If Nick thought he had felt pain before in his life, it was negligible compared to what he was now experiencing.  He screamed ear-shatteringly as the pain ripped from his nether region and spread through his entire body.  

Rudolf grinned wickedly.  The man's screams were only mildly muffled by the plastic that was quickly suffocating him.  He pulled the stunner away and tossed it onto the table, all the while laughing as the pitiful excuse for a man slumped into unconsciousness.  He pulled the bag away just before his captive's life slipped away.  This weakling could not handle a proper torture.  He would have to let him rest a short while before he resumed his task.  "Fucking pansy," he spat and slapped the agent's unconscious face for good measure before leaving the room.

Losing consciousness was an escape from the horror of torture, and Nick welcomed it.  He slumped willingly into the void, knowing Michelle would be there to heal him.__

***

The team headed to the local FBI offices where a small office had been cleared for them to work from.   Cody quickly logged into the government database, checking for any local connections to Patriaka's 'former' associates.  

Alex paced the small area anxiously.  If she did not know better, she would think she was taking Frank's place as the pacer, since Frank was being forced to remain as stationary as possible by his mother hen wife.  She was about to make her umpteenth pass over the small carpet when her phone began its annoying chirp.  "Cross."

"If it isn't the Money Lady."

Alex's eyes widened, recognizing the voice.  "How'd you get this number?"

"We have a mutual acquaintance, remember?  Listen, Doll, I don't have much time.  Put Mr. Cool on the line."

Frank looked up when Alex stopped her pacing and stood directly in front of him.  He frowned as he accepted her cell phone.  "Donovan."

"Warehouse District on the north side of the Bay Bridge," the voice on the other end of the line said calmly.

"Excuse me?" Frank replied, his brow arching reflexively. 

"You heard me.  Heard through the grapevine you were in the hands of one of Patriaka's goons."

"Obviously not," Frank spat irritably.  "What do you know, Sonny?"

"That Patriaka believes you are in the capable hands of Rudolf.  The meanest sonofabitch he has on his payroll."  

Frank heard Sonny release a sigh.  His own patience was growing thin.  If Sonny knew something, he wished he would just spit it out.   "You've already said he thinks he has me.  What else do you have?"

"All I know is that he _is_ holding someone.  No matter who is being held, the poor bastard is in for a hurting.  You're running out of time, Donovan."

"And I should believe you, why?"   Sonny Walker helping him?   Who would have ever thought it?

"After you and your team laid your lives on the line for me?  Why would I lie to you?  Check out the warehouse district.  You might find something you like."

"Wait..."

"Check it out, Donovan."  

"What the...?" Frank asked of no one in particular.  

"What did he want, Frank?" Shay questioned, after he ended the call.  She had watched him closely during the call.  Alex had whispered to her who the caller was, and by the reaction on Frank's face, Sonny had given him some disturbing news. 

He offered her a brief smile.  " Cody, check the lessee's and owners of the warehouses on the north side of the Bay Bridge."

"Uh...okay.  What's up?" he asked, wondering what prompted that order out of leftfield.

"Check it and run the names against known Patriaka associates."  Frank saw Cody nod and begin clicking away at the keyboard.  Whatever information they could turn up from their unexpected 'informant's' call, he hoped it would lead them to Nick...and that he was still alive.  

--

After disconnecting the call with Donovan, Sonny moved outside to the sun porch of his modest home and sat in the recliner to relax.  He missed little about his former life of crime.  The only thing he did miss was the people he considered his family.  Over the years, he had formed very few close relationships with people and those he had were usually ended in death.  A lonely existence for the most hardened of hearts. 

He sighed as his thoughts turned to Jake Shaw and wondered where things would be between them if Jake had not turned out to be an undercover snitch.  That knowledge still caused a twinge of heartache for Sonny, having developed a familial bond with the kid.  He often thought they were two sides of the same coin.  One had chosen easy money over the more righteous and tougher road.  Being bad was uncomplicated; being on the good side of the law was never easy.  It could be easy, if you dealt in black and white, but real life was shaded in grays of a thousand different hues.

When he heard word through the seedy end of the grapevine that Patriaka had received a certain visitor in prison, he knew something was up.  Sonny was no fool, he never deceived himself into believing he would never be hunted for his part in bringing down Patriaka's Empire.  

There are always repercussions.  Patriaka learned that the hard way when he murdered Carly.  Donovan was learning that lesson now.  Donovan had been honorable, stood up against the corruption in his own department, and protected him when others might have let him die.  

Sonny closed his eyes and rested his head against the recliner.  It had not taken much to find out where Rudolf was holding his new project.  He only hoped Donovan and his team could get to him in time.   He knew Rudolf's reputation and felt a spasm of pity for the man, whoever he was.  That the man was mistaken for Donovan intrigued Sonny.  He knew Rudolf's reputation and he would not make a mistake that careless.  Whoever the poor sap was, he was in for a wakeup call into a world he would never dream of, not even in his worst nightmare.  He would be a changed man and it would take a strong woman to deal with those changes.  

As he drifted off toward a light sleep, he silently wished the team luck.

***

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

***

"Okay, here we go," Cody announced when the search finished processing.  "Got a warehouse registered through a dummy corporation.  It's traceable back to Patriaka."

"Good job, Cody," Frank said approvingly as he patted him on the shoulder.  He turned to Shay and said, "Shay, get Director Karnes.  We're going to need backup for this."  He glanced at Cody's monitor as the building specs for the warehouse came up.  "That's a large warehouse for four people to search.  No telling how many men they have."

Shay nodded and rose to her feet.  She was halfway to the door when she realized what he said and turned to face him.  "Four?  I don't think so, Sir.  Three at the most; two if one of us has to make sure you stay put."

"I'm perfectly capable," his argument began until Alex laid a quieting hand on his shoulder.  

"We all know you're as tough as they come, Frank, but you're sitting this one out," she stated firmly.  Before Frank could utter a word, she continued, "And I think Shay will keep you company."  

"Alex, whether Shay stays or not is my decision."  He turned back to Shay, "Let Karnes know we'll need a full assault team."

Shay nodded and headed off to find Director Karnes.  When she returned with him, Frank went over the details of where they believed Nick was being held.   It was a pretty straightforward plan.  Agents would go in through all entrances simultaneously.  The warehouse was large, but, thankfully, only one floor.  No complicated plan was needed.  Converge and capture.  Take down those they could, put down those they must.

Director Karnes agreed to the plan and put a full team under their charge.  The team and necessary equipment were ready to roll within the hour.  

***

Michelle entered the hospital hours later, after going home for a fitful nap.  She had snuggled into the bed she and Nick shared, curling herself around his pillow.  It seemed like forever before she drifted off to sleep with his manly scent filling her nostrils.  She had dreamed of him, lost somewhere in a dark place full of evil and despair.  She had reached for him, held him close, and tried to shield him from it with her love.   When she awakened to only his pillow, the dread from her dream filled her, causing her stomach to churn.  She had spent the next few moments kneeling in front of the toilet, retching her guts out.  

She had wandered the house for a while, but she was too nervous and distracted to stay still.   Deciding to try to keep her mind off things by working, she headed back to the hospital.  Although she knew she was not up to anything serious, she had mounds of paperwork to go through and hoped she could handle that task.

She passed Reception without looking up.  Norman called out to her to get her attention and she backtracked to him.  "Hey," she acknowledged him weakly.

"You have a call, Shel.  I was going to take a message, but here you are," he said sociably.

"Thanks, Norman.  Can I take it here?" she asked.  She prayed it was Frank and Shay calling with news and, at the same moment, prayed it was not.  She realized she was frightened; she expected the worst.  "This is Michelle Chambers."

"Michelle, it's Shay.  Listen...we've just contacted the EMT's to follow us.  An ambulance is being sent from your location to the Warehouse District near the Bay Bridge."

Michelle's heartbeat increased rapidly as she tossed the phone back to Norman.  Without another thought or word, she raced to dispatch as quickly as possible.  When she reached the call center, she asked breathlessly, "Has a bus been dispatched to the warehouse district yet?"

The dispatcher looked her up and down.  "Wha... what?"

"Has one been dispatched?" she asked again insistently.

"Just now...they're about to..."

Michelle did not wait for the remainder of the answer.  She tore outside and hurried to the soon to be departing ambulance.

***

Nick lay, groggy and disoriented, in the same smelly bed he had been in for days.  While unconscious, his captors had tied him back to the bed.  Although, how he would have the strength to escape was beyond him.  He knew they would be back to put him through more punishment.  He was beyond caring if he would be rescued.  Humiliation, pain, and torture...he prayed for death now.  Anything that would end the cruelty and suffering.  

--

Shay heard the slight growl Frank emitted as he watched Alex and Cody follow the assault team into the building.  He wanted to be there, in the midst of the action.  Instead, he was stuck in the back of the surveillance van watching through monitors.  She stood behind him and began massaging his shoulders to ease his tense muscles.  "Breathe, Donovan...just breathe."

Frank reached up and covered one of her hands with his.  "I pray we've found him in time, Ash..."

"I know, Frank, I know..."   

--

His vehicle neared the turnoff to the warehouse district as he spotted the many FBI vehicles approaching from the opposite direction.  _Sonofabitch_, he cussed silently.  They had discovered where Donovan was being held before he had a chance to extract the information he was after.  He gnashed his teeth forcefully and pounded on the steering wheel as he drove past the entrance and headed away from the area.  

Donovan would live through this, but Rudolf was far from finished with him.  He needed the information to complete his assignment.  Sonny Walker was a valuable commodity.  Patriaka still had connections to money the United States government had not been able to seize and Rudolf wanted that money.  He worked long and hard for it.  He received a generous salary for his services, but bringing Walker down was worth millions in bonus.   He meant to have that bonus.

For now, he would disappear.  There would be another time to seek out Agent Donovan for his knowledge.  In the meantime, Rudolf would lie in wait.  

--

Cody and Alex were part of the group that entered the warehouse from the rear.  Each team of agents checked in as room after room was cleared.  

Jimmy heard the noises coming from the hallway.  Rusty was not due to relieve him for another hour, but it was possible he was early.  Going to the door, he unlocked it for his partner.  "Aren't you a bit..." The words died in his throat when several semi-automatic handguns were thrust into his face.  Without a word, he backed up into the room, giving them leave to enter.

"Where is he?" Alex growled questioningly.  

Jimmy nodded toward the door at the far side of the room.

"Cuff him," Alex ordered, grabbing the thug and shoving him toward one of the assault team.  She then moved over to the door.  Cody stood to one side while she kicked the door open forcefully.  She entered first, gun leveled at the ready and Cody followed behind her.

"Jesus Christ," Alex whispered, seeing Nick's prone body tied down to the bed.  "What the hell did they do to him?"

Cody was sickened by the sight, but not surprised.  Whoever did this was someone who enjoyed his or her job.  "Frank..." he spoke into the headset's microphone.

"We saw, Cody," Frank answered.  "We're on our way."

--

Nick thought he was dreaming when he heard the noise in the outer room.  Surely it was just his imagination when he turned his head and saw what looked like law enforcement standing just inside the door.  No, it had to be another hallucination.  He had given up hope, hadn't he?  As his vision focused on first one then the other, he realized they were law enforcement.  FBI.  He wondered absently how they found him.  He gave up trying to figure it out; just the simple act of thinking caused him pain.  No, it was not worth the effort.  Better just to die...

Cody and Alex looked at each other for a moment after hearing Nick's pitiful groan and watched him turn his head away.  The man lay near naked, covered in filth, blood, and bruises.   What torments he had gone through were unfathomable, even by those trained to deal with such things.  

"Nick," Alex murmured quietly as she and Cody approached the bed.  Removing her jacket, she covered Nick as best as she could.  She could see Cody shaking his head as he cut the ropes away from Nick's ankles while she removed the ones at his wrists.  "Nick...can you hear me?"

Nick opened his eyes and gazed uncaringly at the woman who spoke his name repeatedly.  He could hear, but cared not to speak.  He could see, but would rather not.  The one thing he wanted was to disappear.  Yes, disappear.  He could do that.

"He isn't responding," Alex informed Cody quietly while helping Nick to a sitting position.  

"He seems almost catatonic," he agreed.    "Although, it's clear he can hear us and knows we're here," he added when Nick's eyes flicked toward him when he began speaking.

Both Alex and Cody turned toward the door when Frank and Shay entered.  They stopped short upon seeing Nick in the pathetic state he was in.  Shay mumbled something under her breath and then turned, yelling for the EMT's.

Nick's eyes were downcast as the newcomers approached him.  He did not want to see anyone, nor did he want them to see him in his present condition.  He felt the gentle caress of someone's hand on his cheek and only then did he raise his eyes.   "Please...just...don't touch me," he begged in a tortured whisper.

Frank nodded toward Shay, who then backed away from his cousin.   He hunched over, resting his hands on his knees and looked into Nick's face.   "Nick...we're going to take you home now," he assured him.  He felt the guilt wash over him at the sight of his cousin's condition.  All of this happened because they were identical in appearance.  How could this ever be made up to the poor man?

Nick recognized the voice and looked up to see Frank leaning down toward him.  "You!" he accused hatefully before spitting in his cousin's face.  "All because of you!"  He had not felt much emotionally in the past day, but he felt something now.  Hatred.  Pure and raw.  It burned in his gut like pure grain alcohol.  He knew two things were real.  He knew was alive; and he knew hatred.  

Frank retreated slowly and wiped the spittle from his face.  Although upset by the sound of unmitigated loathing from his cousin, he understood where it was coming from.  Nick would have a lot of emotions to deal with and wade through.  With time and the proper help, Frank could only hope to repair the damage between them.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the room.  Everyone turned as Michelle ran into the room.  Frank noted the look of horror that washed over her face and disappeared quickly, replaced with concern and love.  If Nick were to get back what had been taken from him over the past few days, Frank knew the woman who just entered the room would be the only one who could see to it.  He imagined that if it were him in Nick's place, his Shay would be that same anchor for him.

"Nick," Michelle gasped, scurrying to him and dropping to her knees in front of him.  She reached out, intent on holding him, but Nick pushed her arms away.

"Don't...don't touch me, Michelle," he demanded quietly, hanging his head.  He was more than aware of the disgusting state he was in.  "You don't want to touch me."

Oh, but she did want to; she needed to.  She needed to hold him, love him, and make him believe everything was all right.  She whispered softly while she leaned closer, "Don't think that I would ever turn away from you.  Nothing can keep you from my arms."  

Before Nick realized it, she had wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.  How she could stand to be near him, he could not understand.  He buried his face into her hair and blocked out the world.  If he could spend eternity in her embrace, he would be a happy man.  But life could not be lived in her arms, and he knew he would have to face the world. 

Michelle reluctantly pulled away from Nick to allow the EMT's to secure him onto a stretcher.  As they carried him from the room, Michelle followed alongside.   Shay watched as he turned from the onlookers.  He was withdrawing inside himself.  She had seen that look more than once during her time with Espinosa. **   Tortured, he was a nearly broken man.  He would have to find the will to pick up those pieces and put himself back together.  

"He's alive," she whispered, slipping her hand into Frank's and entwining her fingers with his.

"If you can call that alive," he replied, closing his eyes against the image of his cousin.  "He'll need help.  I'm going to call Monica..."

"That's a great idea."  Shay nodded and squeezed his hand softly.  "I'm so sorry, Tiger," she whispered, knowing how much his cousin's visible hatred must be hurting him.  She wished for nothing more than to be able to take his pain away.

Frank nodded and noticeably straightened his stance.   "We're trained for this shit," he spat.  "But it doesn't make it easier."

"No, it doesn't," she agreed.  

__

** Read "A Shock to the System" 

***

to be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

***

Frank, Shay, Cody, and Alex followed the ambulance on its way back to the medical center.  After Nick had time to receive a thorough examination, they would be allowed to 'interview' him.  Cody was compiling photographs of all known Patriaka associates to show Nick.  If he could identify the bastard who tortured him, then they could begin hunting him down.

--

Inside the ambulance, Michelle had assisted the EMTs in swabbing down a portion of Nick's forearm and then inserted an I.V. needle.  While the EMT finished with the I.V., Michelle had begun gently cleaning the filth from Nick's face.  The nurses on duty would attend to those needs, but she could not stop herself from doing it.  His eyes watched her face steadily and she assumed he was looking for her reaction to the state he was in.  She prayed he only saw love in her eyes.  She had an overwhelming feeling that if he saw pity there, he would push her away and never see her again.

"No one else can do this," Nick spoke suddenly, his voice a hoarse whisper.

She had almost jumped when he spoke, but had managed to keep her composure.  "Do what, baby?" she asked as she cleaned away more filth under his chin.

He reached out unexpectedly and grabbed her hand, stopping her busy little activity.  He had no idea how hard he was squeezing, until her face drew into a painful expression and she whimpered softly and tried to pull her hand away.

"Nick, you're hurting me," she whispered calmly.  Grief registered instantly in his dark eyes and his grip on her hand loosened, although he did not let go completely.  "What is it, Nicky?"

"I don't want anyone else doing this," he explained.  "Only you...you see and you look past the horror to the real man."

"Yes," she agreed simply.  She knew where he was going with this.  He could not bear the looks of pity and repulsion that he might receive.  Something he had already experienced with many of the police and rescue personnel that had been on the scene.  

A single tear escaped his eye and she reached out with her free hand to wipe it away as it slid across his temple and made a path for his hair.  At that moment, his eyes locked with hers and he released her hand to touch her cheek softly.  "You stayed with me the entire time.  When I wanted to let go, you held me together."  He squeezed his eyes closed and laid back into the tiny pillow.  "God help me, Shelley...but I think I let go."  His eyes opened and locked onto hers, searching for a lifeline he had thought he had lost.

Michelle could not stop the tears that filled her eyes.  "No, baby, you didn't.  I promise you."  She leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek, kissing him tenderly.  When she rose up, she noted the appalled look the attending EMT had on his face.  She held back the hateful words she wanted to throw at the man, but for Nick's sake she kept quiet.  In actuality, she could understand his reaction.  The days that Nick had been held captive had left him covered in his own filth, blood, and God knew what else.  But she did not care about that, and Nick had no control over it.  If she were to react to any of it, it might send him to a place where he would not let her follow.  This moment in time was precarious for his psyche and she would do her best to keep him from disappearing.  She focused her attention back on Nick.  She put aside the swab and cupped his face gently with her hands.  "You were with me...you never let go, not for one instant."

Nick nodded and closed his eyes again, comforted by her words and presence.  She was his heart and she would know above all others.  When he had doubted himself in the past, she had put him back on the path.  This time would not be different.  

Michelle leaned down and kissed his forehead.  "I promise you...no one else will see you.  I'll take care of you."

"I love you."  He turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss to her cheek.  He still half expected her to pull away from him.  Instead, she touched her forehead to his and said, "I can't tell you how good it is to hear those words from your lips, my Adonis.  I love you..."

--

Michelle had used the ambulance's radio to call ahead to Matt.  He promised to take care of everything.  When they arrived at the hospital, she was surprised to see how few people milled about the emergency room.  When Nick had been removed from the ambulance, she pulled the sheet over his head.  She was worried he would find that morbid and told him that because there were still people around, it was the only way to keep them from seeing him.  Once she had him in an ER room, she would make sure no one would get near him until he was ready.  He understood, after a brief conversation, that Matt would be waiting in that ER room to treat him.  He had accepted that without fuss.

--

Frank waited impatiently in the waiting room along with Shay, Alex, and Cody.  He was not sure how long he had been pacing, but on his umpteenth trip across the room, he turned and nearly collided with his wife.  She offered him a cup of coffee, which he accepted from her with a weak smile.  "I put a call into Monica.  She said to give Nick her number.  If he doesn't contact her within a couple days, she'll contact him.  She said it would be best if he contacts her."

Shay nodded.  "It shows he wants and understands he needs help."  She touched a hand to Frank's cheek and softly stroked it with her thumb.  "Do not take this on yourself, Tiger.  You didn't do this to him."

"Didn't I?" he questioned, exasperated.  "I don't have the first clue as to what I'm even doing in San Francisco."  

"Whatever that reason, it has nothing to do with the fact that Patriaka sent someone to hunt you down," she assured him.  "The fact that you were on a road headed away from the airport in Nick's car, leads us to believe that the two of you met there.  Now, considering that, the logical conclusion is that is where Patriaka's goons mixed the two of you up."  Her arms slid around his back, embracing him comfortingly.  "You were chased and run off the road, eventually killing your attackers.  Nick must have been seen by a separate set of men, and was not so fortunate."

"Still doesn't leave me off the hook, Shay.  If they weren't after me, nothing would have happened to Nick," he argued, burying his face into her hair.  He felt her gentle touch as her hands trailed over his back.  "I love you, Ash."

She smiled against the purple shirt he wore.  "Love you, too, Tiger."   

A soft 'ahem' broke them apart and they turned to see Dr. Slingerland.  "I wanted to give you an update on Nick before you go in to see him.  He's severely dehydrated."  He glanced around the room at each of them before centering his attention back on Donovan.  "The plastic surgeon assures us that the burns he sustained can be repaired with minimal scarring and his body will need some time to get over the shock it's been through.  Physically, there has been no permanent damage.  Of course, we are urging him to seek counseling for PTSD."

Frank nodded.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; that would be Nick's biggest battle.  He might eventually decide that staying alive had been the easy part.  Frank's guilt only increased at that thought.  "A former team member of mine has a practice in L.A.  We've already been in contact with her..."

Matt nodded.  "It would be best if he accepts treatment right away, but he can't be forced."

"I know that.  Can we see him now?"  

"Of course."

***

Frank approached the room with Shay at his side, Cody's laptop tucked firmly in her arms.  Cody and Alex had stayed behind; too many people at once might not be well received by Nick.  As it were, Frank was setting himself up for more rejection, knowing how Nick felt about him at the moment.  They stood at the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight of Michelle sitting on the edge of the bed, Nick's hand linked with hers.

Nick glanced at the doorway, feeling eyes upon him, and saw Frank standing with his wife.  "Get away from me!" he spat as forcefully as he could manage.

Michelle jumped slightly at the sound of hatred in his voice.  The feeling was visible in his dark eyes.  He blamed his cousin for what he went through and Michelle understood.  Nick was taken because he was identical in appearance to Frank and for no other reason than that.  He had a right to his feelings, whether they were reasonable or not.  Nick needed help; getting control back in his life would not happen over night, control that had been ripped from him without warning.  

Frank sighed unhappily and entered the room hesitantly.  He would leave, but there was the matter of the scum who had done this to Nick.  If Nick could identify him, Frank would see to it the man paid for what he had done.  "I'm sorry you feel that way, Nick, and I will leave, but first we need you to look through mug shots."

Nick remained silent.  His only response was to fold his arms over his chest as best he could with all the tubes and machines hooked to him.

Shay moved forward and set the laptop on the bed table.  She opened the program and clicked through the photos.  Although Nick put up passive resistance at first, eventually his eyes focused on the pictures as they cycled slowly.  She saw his eyes widen before they closed tightly, as if trying to block out the sight.  She stopped the program on that photograph.  Rudolf Folterung.  "Is this the man, Nick?  Was he responsible for what happened to you?"

Nick opened his eyes slowly and focused on the soft blue of Shay's eyes.  He saw concern there and sadness, but he had the feeling the sadness was reserved for her husband, not him.  He wanted to assure her that he did not hold Frank responsible, but something inside him held back.  Because he really did, didn't he?  It was Frank's fault.  Frank chose the line of work he was in, however dangerous.  Each day he put not only his own life, but also those of his family in danger.  The sad thing is, that he probably did not even realize it.  "It was him.  Now go away...both of you."

Shay looked up at Frank, who nodded dejectedly and backed away, leaving the room.  She gave Nick and Michelle a saddened look before she turned and followed her husband.  This was a lot to deal with for both men and although she loved Nick, her first priority was her husband.  She caught up to him and slipped her hand in his.

"He'll never forgive me," he stated sorrowfully.  

Shay stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.  She held the laptop in one arm and slid the other around his waist gently and pulled him into a soft hug, mindful of his ribs.  "Give him time," she whispered before kissing his lips tenderly.  "You've helped by calling Monica and we'll give that information to Michelle.  In the meantime, he needs just what he asked for...space."

"I know, Ashling," he agreed reluctantly, wrapping his arms around her and drinking in every ounce of comfort she silently offered him.  "I'm a constant reminder of his ordeal.  I can only hope he'll one day..." he trailed off as he buried his face against her neck.

"Come on, Baby," she urged softly.  "Let's get you somewhere that you can get a little rest."

***

to be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Sitting at the nurse's station outside ICU, she grew more and more impatient as the day wore on.  After she had found the perfect target, her day off had rolled around.  She tried to switch with another nurse, but prior plans prohibited the change.  

While she had been off, Doctor Kokoris had been moved to another floor.  Absently her hand slid inside the pocket of her uniform and fondled the vial that she had pilfered earlier.   Eagerly she waited for her relief so that she could take her break.  She just had one stop to make along the way to the cafeteria.

--

Shay lay watching Frank while he slept.  She stroked his hair, lovingly wishing there was a way to make things easier for him.  His sleep was less than peaceful, she could see that in the way his head would twitch from time to time and the painful groans he would emit.   She wanted to take his pain and make it her own.  In a sense she did just that.  Her emotions mirrored his, but, unfortunately, it did not make his suffering go away.  Perhaps lessened it a bit, but far from leaving him completely.

She gasped audibly when he awakened suddenly and sat bolt upright, grasping her by the shoulders.  "We have to get to the hospital.  Hurry!"

"Frank, what..."  She stared after him as he flew from the bed and hurried into his clothing.   His adrenaline had to be pumping wildly for him to be moving so quickly in spite of his injuries.

"Hurry up, Baby!  I'll explain on the way," he assured her as he dressed.

Shay only nodded when she saw the anxious look in his dark eyes.  He was not messing around.  Whatever had him worried must be extremely serious.

***

Nick lay in his bed somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.  It was the sedatives, of course.  He had finally been able to convince Michelle, with the help of Matt, that she needed rest as much as he did.  Although she refused to leave the hospital, she did agree to lie down in the nurse's lounge.  He was alone with his thoughts now, and he wished sleep would take him completely.  There were times he was not quite sure if he was really safe or still being held captive and simply hallucinating.  He did not like that feeling at all.

He almost released an irritated sigh in his half-asleep state when he heard the door to his room creak open.  _Leave me alone!_ he screamed silently.  He refused to open his eyes.  If it wasn't a nurse coming in to check his vitals, it was one of the staff at the medical center dropping by to offer their best wishes for a speedy recovery.  He wished they would all just leave him be for just a little while, at least until he got a hold on his emotions.

She approached the bed quietly, removing the vial and syringe when she neared him.  His eyes were closed and it looked as though he was sleeping peacefully.  He should be; his chart indicated he was pumped full of sedatives.  His face was cut and bruised, much more so than when he was brought in the night of his car accident.  She wondered what could have happened to him during her day off that caused such wounds.  It made little difference; her agenda was still the same, no matter the state his normally handsome face was in.

Slowly, steadily, she inserted the needle into the vial and pulled back on the plunger, drawing the clear liquid into the syringe.  She gazed down upon the doctor almost lovingly.  She wondered if he would ever know what she had done for him?  How she had taken care to end his suffering?  She smiled a little as she took the IV tubing into one hand and tested the syringe with the other.  Soon things would be calm for him and he would never have to know another moment of anguish again.  She inserted the needle into the tube and pressed the plunger down.  She watched as the clear, deadly liquid flowed unhindered down the tubing, nearing the needle inserted directly into his vein.

The sudden banging of the door startled her and she squealed as rough hands grabbed her, tossing her away from the bed.  She crashed against a chair and landed painfully on her backside, screaming "nooooooo!" when the IV tube was pulled from Doctor Kokoris' wrist just before the liquid hit his vein.  It seemed like it was all happening in slow motion, when in reality it was mere seconds before a hand closed around her throat, dragging her to her feet.

"What was in the syringe?" a male voice demanded vehemently.

She looked up into familiar eyes and gasped.  He...he...  She looked toward the bed and found that Doctor Kokoris lay in the bed watching her though disbelieving eyes.  She looked back to the man who held her by the throat.  They were the same...twins.  Her head spun with the realization.  There were two of them.  The one that held her now was the one she had intended to put out of his misery.  The one with no memory.  What a fatal error that would have been.    

Frank tightened his grip on her throat.  "What was in that syringe?" he demanded again, through clenched teeth.  

"Ep... Epinephrine," she gasped as she clawed at his hand.  

Frank felt the growl leave his throat before he was able to stop it.  Epinephrine was a synthetic chemical twin of adrenaline, the bodily substance that produces the so-called flight-or-fight instinct. For patients suffering a cardiac arrest, it can be a lifesaver. Injected into a person with a healthy heart, it can cause anxiety, nervousness, a hike in blood pressure, and skyrocketing heart rates.  Too much at once...death.

Shay entered the room and slapped handcuffs none too gently on the vile woman.  She was surprised to see the nurse, Sheila Laird, was a mousy creature, very petite, with auburn hair, and oddly shaped moss-green colored eyes.  Once the woman was cuffed, Frank released his hold on her and gave her a forceful shove, causing her to fall back into the chair behind her.

"To think she enjoys taking lives instead of saving them," Frank commented bitingly.

Alex and Cody entered, hauled the "Angel of Death" to her feet, and removed her from the room.  It was only then that Frank and Shay turned to Nick, who watched them through wide eyes.  "Are you okay?" Frank asked while both Doctor Slingerland and Michelle checked him over.  Frank had called them while he and Shay were en route.  Unbeknownst to Sheila Laird, she was being watched closely.  She would have a hand in no more deaths in her lifetime.

"Don't expect me to feel gratitude," Nick bit out unappreciatively.  The irony of the situation did not escape him.  The realization of just why Frank had come to haunt the hallways of the medical center had come back to him.  Not only had he taken Frank's place in some torturous quest to gain information about someone named Sonny Walker, but he almost had become victim to the very reason for Frank's presence in the first place.

Frank nodded but did not let on that his cousin's words wounded him.  "No, Nick, I don't expect gratitude.  I don't expect anything.  The only thing I do want..."

"I don't _care_ what you want!" Nick bellowed.  "What I want is for you, your wife, and your damned all-important team to get the hell out of my life!"  

Frank felt Shay's hand slip into his and he clung to her for support.  "We're leaving, Nick.  No one wants to cause you further distress."  

"Get out.  Just get out!"  He slumped back onto the bed and closed his eyes.  "Everyone JUST GET OUT!"  He watched Matt usher a protesting Michelle from the room just in front of Frank and Shay.  "No...Shelley, please don't go."   Matt released Michelle's arm and she went to his bedside, immediately taking the hand he offered.

Shay stopped suddenly and turned toward Nick.  "Nick, we've left information with Michelle for you to contact Doctor Monica Gardner.  If you let no one else help you, please let Monica.  I beg you."

Her plea was met by a firm, unyielding voice.  "Get out.  Your husband is dead to me.  There is nothing you can do about it."  

***

Frank tossed in bed for what seemed the hundredth time that evening. Sleep was elusive, his guilt for what Nick had experienced had not lessened even after the latest report from Monica.  She had shared little because of the patient-doctor confidentiality, but she said he was making progress and, with time, he would find the control that had been stripped from him during his torment.  She had also said that Nick's ladylove had proved to be an asset in his treatment.  She was not coddling him, although she was very supportive and in tune to his needs.  If he kept on track and did not give up on his treatment, he would be fine.

Nearly two weeks had passed since Nick was found and Sheila Laird was apprehended.  In that time, the search for RudolfFolterung had met with little success.  He had managed to elude authorities, although the search was ongoing.  It did not appear as though he had left the country, but no one could say for sure.  Frank would not rest until he was apprehended.  

Shay heard his heavy sigh as he tried to settle into a comfortable position.  Had he even slept an hour this night?  She rolled onto her side and laid a comforting hand on his bare back, right between his shoulder blades.  "Talk to me, Tiger."  When he did not respond, she inched closer and pressed a soft kiss to the middle of his spine.  "You've distanced yourself since our return.  Please don't shut me out."  Another sigh left his lips.

He knew she meant well, she always did.  He just did not have the first clue how to talk about this situation.  He knew what she would say, that it was not his fault, but that would not make him feel less guilty.   He rolled onto his back and gathered her into his embrace.  "Ashling, I promise you, I'm not trying to exclude you.  I just know what you're going to tell me."

She smiled softly.  "Maybe you do, Frank.  And you know I'm right."

"Of course, aren't you always?" he quipped, shifting slightly to press a tiny kiss to the top of her head.

She propped herself up on one elbow to see his face.  "Most of the time," she answered jokingly.  "But, you know I am this time.  Baby, it's so beyond your control that you and Nick are identical."

He nodded but said nothing.  She was leaning over him now, her lips just a breath from his and her fingers danced lightly over his chest.  She was trying to distract him from his thoughts and it was almost working.

"And you had no way of knowing that someone would come after you looking for information regarding the whereabouts of one Sonny Walker," she continued her reasoning while her hand trailed his chest and shoulders.

"I know," he whispered when she slid her body along his, pressing soft kisses to his chest and abdomen.

"Never could you imagine any of the things that happened would have happened.   You are not God, as much as you sometimes behave as though you are," she admonished tenderly and then ran her tongue along the trail of soft hair from his navel on downward.

"Ahhh, damn," he moaned erotically when her tongue circled his growing hardness.  "I love you, so very much, Ashling."

Shay lifted her head and smiled mischievously.  "I know.   You especially love my diversionary tactics."

He closed his eyes when she returned to her 'tactic' and plunged his hands into her hair.  "I love everything about you," he assured her, giving in to the pleasure of her skillful ministrations.  He lost himself in the feel of the moment, shutting out any thoughts save his love for her, until the shrill ringing of the telephone ended his pleasure. 

"Sonofabitch," he growled irritably.  He was oh so close to his release, and if it was one of his team, he was going to take great pleasure in choking the life from whoever it was the next time he saw them.

Shay pressed her hand firmly to his chest when he began to move.  "Ignore it, Tiger.  The machine can get it."

He smiled wickedly and eased back down to the bed.  "Sounds like a plan."

Shay winked and slid her tongue down the length of his hardness, taking her own pleasure in hearing his sexual moan.  "You can do me, later," she whispered.

"Damn, woman...you really know how to push my buttons," he groaned, letting the erotic feel of her soft lips and warm mouth return him to that state of pleasure he was enjoying before the phone began to ring.

"Although you escaped me without giving me the information I desired...know that you have not heard the last from me, Mr. Donovan," a voice boomed over the answering machine.

Shay gasped as she pulled back and scrambled, frightened, into Frank's arms and he wrapped his arms around her protectively.  Neither had ever heard the voice before, but both were more than aware that it belonged to the twisted person behind Nick's torture.  He was letting them know that he would not be stopped so easily.  Shay trembled in Frank's arms and he could do nothing more than hold her, praying he would be ready if there came a time that the caller would come after him again.

*******

Epilogue to follow...


	10. Epilogue

***

Epilogue

Relaxing in the comfortable seat assigned to him on the Air France flight he managed to catch at the last minute, Frank stared out the window watching the cloud formations above and below the plane.  The last two months had been as close to hell as he wanted to get.  That was how long he had been away from Shay and the babies.  He had enlisted his father-in-law's help in getting them out of the country.  Thomas had seen to it that they made it safely to France, stashing them in the Chateau that Shay had disappeared to shortly after he had met her about five years ago.  He did not want to take any chances that Rudolf would get his demented hands on any more members of his family.  Frank's cousin had already paid too high a price for being related to him and the thought of anything happening to Shay and the kids sent him into a panic.  

Rudolf had managed to stay one step ahead of Frank and his team.  When a lead would come their way, it was as if Rudolf got wind of it just before they showed up and he vanished into thin air.  Frank was near the point of giving up when he received an overnight package with no return address.  The package contained one small cassette.  He still had a hard time believing what was on the cassette.  Two voices engaged in a very intense conversation.  One of the voices belonged to Aristos Patriaka.  The other voice remains unidentified.

_"The location of Rudolf Folterung."  The unidentified voice._

_"What are you talking about?" Patriaka's voice._

_"I'll keep this simple for you, Fat Man.  You tell me where Folterung is hiding out; I let you live."_

_"Rot in hell."_

_"It's your life..."_

_"No...no wait!  I'll give you what you want!"_

_"Smart man."_

_"Costa Rica.  Check the name...Leben Zerstörer."_

_"One final message.  Forget Frank Donovan.  The man knows nothing.  You go after him again, I'll serve you up as pork dinner to the guards.  Got me?"_

_"Yes!"_

The tape had ended, but had given Donovan the information he needed to apprehend the man known as Rudolf Folterung.  With him secured behind bars, Frank was free to take a leave of absence and be with his family.  The team had also been put on leave for an undetermined amount of time.  Frank's superiors were leaving that up to him, giving him the time he felt he needed to come down from a case that had cost his family far too much.  He decided to take the time they offered and hopped on the next flight to France.  It seemed the perfect place to reacquaint himself with his wife and children, and he looked forward to it more than anything he had before in his life.

--

Frank exited the hired vehicle when it came to a stop in front of the beautiful Chateau.  He took a moment to absorb the landscape.  The countryside was simply breathtaking and he saw easily why his Ashling loved the time she spent here in the past.  He paid the driver and picked up his bags, heading for the large door.  He heard a squeal as the door opened and laughed happily at the sight of his wife running toward him.  He dropped his bags and scooped her up into a tight hug as he twirled her around before setting her on her feet.  His lips sought hers in a long, hard, desperately hungry kiss before breaking away to kneel down to embrace LJ and Ariel, who were frantically tugging at his pant's leg.  He looked up and the sight he beheld surprised him so much that he lost his balance and sat down on the hard ground.  Frank saw his youngest child, Zach, being carried toward him in the arms of the one person he thought he would never see again.  Michelle walked alongside Nick, her arm firmly tucked in his, and both were smiling happily.  

"Hello, Frank," Nick greeted, still smiling.

"Hello, Nick."  Frank noted that the smile did not quite reach Nick's eyes, but it was a start.  _It was a start. _ 

~finis~

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for reading this and not stoning me to death for its content.  A special thanks for those who left me feedback whether it be here, the FLMB, or through email.  I truly appreciate your time and effort.  

And to Serena...I'd be lost without you.  Thanks so much!


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